The Mighty Me
by JaciSerigala
Summary: He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he really didn't want anyone to feel the way he had his entire life... but he didn't he deserve this one wish? Dedicated To: Nem / Echo (Tumblr) for GrayLu Secret Siblings
1. Chapter 01

If glowing lights and gorgeous dresses could constitute for love, then Gray would be sorted. What, with the countless women lining up to meet him, in hopes that they'd catch his fancy and make their families proud. But unfortunately for him, that's not how the world works. The world couldn't care less about him. So all he could do was suck it up and just sit and wait as the hundred or so ladies lined up to meet him in hopes that he would find a bride in one of them.

Glancing over at his parents, he frowned, he didn't want to let them down and he knew that they wanted him to find a bride. It was the only reason that this ball was taking place. Still, as the next lady came up, after the previous one ran off crying, he could only see lust for his money and power. There wasn't a single glint of compassion for him in those irises, those blue eyes full of greed.

This was the second ball that his parents had thrown for him and it made him wonder whether or not he was worth caring for in the first place. He had had very few people in his lifetime, that actually cared for him on a personal basis, outside of his family. And he had grown to resent this position of power. Every breathing moment, all he wanted was for one true connection to find its way into his life; in a world that only saw him as an object.

With a sigh relief as his mother allowed him to take a break, he headed over to the snack table and took some food and a drink. His eyes wandered around the room, watching the guests especially those that he had disappointed with his lackluster performance. He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he really didn't want anyone to feel the way he had, his entire life... but didn't he deserve this one wish?

His eyes dimmed and flickered with his selfish dream, and his cold irises lowered to the floor, partly in shame. With a deep breath, he gulped down the building emotion with wine, and glanced back at his parents. His Father was happily nattering away with old acquaintances and friends and strangers alike, whilst his Mother met his gaze with concerned but loving eyes. She stood up and began to make her way over to him, whilst a pair of guards trailed her. Waving them off as she approached her son, she took a few grapes before turning to the son who had outgrown her.

"Haven't any of them been suitable?" She asked, calmly, though in her eyes, there was a storm of pure and unrelenting love for her son.

"They're all beautiful and well-mannered. They'll all find happiness in someone, someday." Gray replied, quietly.

"But you can't be that someone?" Her voice always had that soothing and trusting nature to it, and it always calmed him down.

"No... there all too fascinated by my jewellery and money." He responded, as they wandered to the side of the dance floor.

"You want someone to fall in love with you, right?" His Mother's question was more of a statement, not that Gray tried to hide anything from his mother because she ALWAYS found the truth.

"Mmm." He nodded, sullenly.

"I know how you feel, but if you give one of them a chance, I'm sure they'll come around for you." The Queen smiled, hopefully.

"Am I not enough on my own?" Gray whispered, miserably.

"Of course you are, Gray." His Mother responded immediately, her eyes widening in horror at the stark realization of where these insecurities were coming from.

"Then why haven't I found one woman who cares about me and not my power?" Gray said, lacking any actual anger though. He just sounded tired and upset.

"They do care, Gray. You're the future king." But his Mother sounded more and more uncertain with each syllable passing through her lips.

"No. They don't care." He didn't even give her a chance to respond to that. "They care about my position. They care about my money. They care about my power. They care about jewellery and dresses and fancy things. They care about all the materialistic things. But I'm not an object. No matter how much the world thinks I am."

"Gray, you're not an object, you never were." The Queen shook her head, and crossed the last few inches to her son, and wrapped him in her arms, before whispering. "But you know that you need to find a wife, eventually."

"I know. I don't want to let you down, but at the same time, I'd be willing to do almost anything to find someone who loves me for the person beneath the crown." Gray replied, returning the embrace and resting his chin on his mother's head.

"Are we not enough?" His Mother parroted his words from earlier, causing a noticeable jolt to pass through the Prince.

"Of course you are!" The raven squawked in surprise, removing his mother from his arms, so he could look her in the eye. "I love you, I really do, and I want to make you happy and proud! You've always been enough!"

"But…" His mother pressured.

"But… aren't you… umm... required... to love me?" Gray muttered, solemnly, his hands dropping away from his mother as any and all fight drained out of the Prince, his eyes drifting back to the floor, like gravity.

"And…?" A small smirk made its way onto the regal woman's lips, though that went completely over the younger man's head.

"And, you won't be here forever. What'll happen after your gone?" Gray whispered, all of a sudden sounding like a young boy who was terrified of the dark. "I don't want to be alone."

"You're never alone." She replied, her voice once again morphing into the contained and content tone that was almost natural at this point due to her position.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Gray sighed in exasperation. He frowned, seemingly giving up on the conversation as it wasn't going anywhere useful, he turned and walked back to his throne to endure the rest of the evening. He didn't look back once, as his mother froze for a moment before following him with darkened eyes. He knew that if he did look back at her, he would instantly regret what the note he had left it on more than he already did.

Plopping back down in his seat, his cobalt irises glimpsed up, as a pretty woman with blue-dyed hair ascended the last few stairs and curtsied in his presence. He saw the imperfections in her altered hair, as her natural brown was beginning to seep through the roots. When she rose once more, he could see the light pink of her blush wafting over her cheeks and ears, behind her powdered complexion, as her eyes glowed at the chance to meet with Prince Gray! A deep sigh left him, as he forced a gentle smile back onto his lips, and addressed the woman politely, though his smile never reached his eyes.

The ball was over, and Gray was finally allowed to retire to his room. And yet again, not one woman stood out to him - not one lady had the quality that he was searching fruitlessly for. Sitting down on the edge of his large, king-sized bed, he almost crumbled into himself, under the sheer loneliness that he felt, as it hit him that he had let his parents down once more through his refusal to find and accept a wife. And now that he was surrounded by darkness, the ache in his hollow heart was even more potent. Swallowing down tears, despite the privacy that his room granted, he began to slowly disentangle his limbs from the uncomfortable clothes he had been wearing for the past few hours. Chucking them at his dresser, he fell back onto his bed, staring up at his ceiling that made him feel so small. He rolled onto his side and curled up into a small pile, as he stared out of the window at the endless, starry sky.

His eyes quivered in their gentle, yet distant light and he nearly rolled over to face away from the countless pinpricks of light that illuminated the dark. But something held him there, and all he could do was stare gravely at the inky sky. After ten minutes, the raven sighed as he realised that sleep would not come so easily. So, up he got, and over to his bookshelf he floated. Standing on his tiptoes, he could just about reach the top shelf, where his most precious book laid dormant.

It was the first book - the first _gift_ \- that he ever remembered receiving from his parents, it was a big collection of many traditional fairy tales that spoke of 'Once Upon A Time' and 'Princes' and 'Princesses' and most of all, 'Happily Ever After'. It was one of the few things that was guaranteed to relax his mind nowadays, and though yes, he was probably a bit too old to be reading these, the book held so much meaning for him. It was his strongest link to a time where he wasn't so lonely, and he could play with his parents and the servants alike, with his smile never faltering, and him being in the prime of life without realising it.

The cover of the book was caked in dust and most of the protective layer had worn away, leaving the decade old fabric exposed and vulnerable. The gold bindings that ran up the spine were also cracking away to reveal strands of string and straw braided together in a rope that held his book together. Even most of the words had been erased by the hands of time at this point, but Gray's eyes had fallen upon this book so many times over the course his life, that he knew each and every word off by heart that lay between the two ends of the book.

He flipped the paperback open, and in the light of the moon, his eyes instantaneously softened as he saw Aurora dancing among the paper forest and the paper animals. She sang the most beautiful song, with only the trees and Gray to hear. But she didn't care, or even seem to notice how isolated from the world she truly was. Not until she met her Prince and her world was suddenly so much brighter. His lips never did form a genuine smile that night, but his general demeanor was so much lighter than it had been earlier. Turning to face the window once more, he imagined himself in Sleeping Beauty's place. Dancing and singing without a care in the world. Completely invulnerable.

Maybe…

No, that was a stupid idea, and Gray knew it was.

But…

...Just maybe…

It could work for him too.

Aurora didn't find her love because of a ball or some arrangement, she met him through sheer will of destiny. She lived as a peasant for the first 16 years of her life, without any knowledge that she was actually the most wealthy teenager in the entire land.

Maybe…

If Gray was given the chance to the show the world who he was, with all of his privileges stripped away. Maybe that one special person really was out there, and he just had to be brave enough to take the leap for that one special person...

 **Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes, they're all very useful to me.**

 **Welcome to 'The Mighty Me'. This is my entry for the GrayLu Secret Siblings Exchange on Tumblr - though I am struggling to find a way to keep this anonymous, so I might end up giving up on the secret part. My giftie is seulpeun-sonyeo. I really hope you enjoy my little fanfic, Nem! This has been an idea bubbling in the back of my mind, so thank you for giving me a chance to use it! I'm glad I held onto it now. This fanfic has 5 chapters, all of which will be published over these next 5 days (today is included in that). I might put in an afterword post-fanfiction, but we'll see. I do have a FAQ sections in the 'Notices' part of this book - so that I don't have to interrupt the actual content with Author's Notes, not that this would have anything worthy of an Author's Note anyway.**

 **Word Count: 1918**

 **~ Jaci**


	2. Chapter 02

The sound of a steady trot was the only thing that echoed out into the still forest. As the horse, with a dark coat to match his master's hair, made its way tiredly through the forest. The Prince frowned and petted his friend's neck in something of an apology, as he walked by its side, leading the grand animal through the trees, whilst simultaneously playing with the hood that had been specially crafted for this mission. The raven came to an abrupt stop as he grit his teeth in guilt. He was forced to dig his feet into the ground to prevent himself from turning back to take one last look at the castle in the distance, his home. It pained him to leave, and he didn't want to cause his parents or anyone worry about him, but he needed to do this. For the good of his future, and his parents'. But he doubted they'd understand his need to do this. Only Ultear knew something about his thought process, and she had promised to give him a couple days' head start, before telling his parents and helping in the inevitable search for the runaway Prince.

"Sorry…" He whispered, wistfully to the night. And though Ackerman couldn't understand his Master's grief, the majestic equine did nudge his friend in some kind of reassurance that he wasn't alone. Looking into his horse's deep but warm eyes, Gray leaned his forehead against his partner's and closed his eyes to breathe in the comfort that the beast was offering him. Though, he couldn't get himself to say the words of gratitude, he trusted that the sensitive animal accepted it regardless. When he opened his eyes, he begrudgingly pushed strength into his veins and tugged his horse onwards, towards their future.

When Gray woke up that morning, there was a certain urgency to the air. But it wasn't one that Gray hadn't felt before - and it brought a small smile to the drowsy raven's lips as he immediately recognised that his cousin must have organised an unprompted meeting, again, as he heard the exasperated conversations of the servants that rushed through the halls. His dark eyes gleamed as he looked out the window at the cool morning that was coming to fruition before him. Stretching until he was on his back, he sighed quietly as he faced another day where he had to just barely gulp down any and all emotions and fears. Well… maybe that wasn't true, he knew that he could always talk to Ultear.

Clambering off the bed, the still half-asleep Prince wandered into his ensuite bathroom - or, as close to a bathroom as you would find in this time period. Smiling, when he saw that two buckets of hot water had already been prepared whilst he slept, he stripped out of his bed-robes and took a seat on the stool that hovered by the drain that was attached to his bathroom, and began to clean himself. Afterwards, the raven-haired prince came out of the bathroom, scrubbing his hair with a cloth in attempt to dry it somewhat. He opened his closet door and began to pick out some of his nicer - and more comfortable - clothes. When he was satisfied, he fixed his hair, opened the window to let some of the early Autumn air into his room, and finally left his sleeping chambers.

He made his way quietly down two flights of stairs, an air of hesitance hovered over him, as he collected himself and tried to banish the thoughts of his failure the previous night. Entering the dining room, he bowed a greeting towards his parents, waiting patiently for his Father's usual grunt that roughly translated into: 'Welcome, sit.'. Nodding his appreciation, Gray knelt down at the opposite end of the chabudai to his mother, and after a moment or two, he risked a glance up at his parents. His Father seemed to be somewhat hung over, whilst his Mother was all too obviously forcing a gentle smile onto her lips. Flinching inwardly, Gray bowed his head once more in apology, desperate to say the words out loud but unable to, due to the restriction that he had always been under - speak only when spoken to.

He sensed the servants leaving the room, to allow the royals some privacy and he knew that he had disappointed his parents beyond what he had originally realized.

"I'm sorry." He dared to whisper under his breath, as he stared down at the chabudai.

"I don't understand what the problem is, Gray." His Father sighed, sounding more tired than anything, but there was still a hint of uneasiness in his voice that concerned the Prince far more than it would normally. Because normally, that tone of voice was directed at some kind of conflict or matter that usually didn't involve him. "There were multiple women that attended the ball last night that would've made wonderful brides. So I don't know why you can't just pick one and settle down. Do you know how bad it makes our reputation look, now that we have failed to find you a bride after two gala's with that very purpose?"

"I understand that I made a mistake last night, and I'm truly sorry for what the embarrassment that I've brought to our family." Gray shuffled back a few paces, and bowed to his father in a sign of his dearest means of atonement.

"I don't understand how you could be blind to the women that were there last night." His Mother sighed, her voice lacking the anger of his Father's, but there were still negative emotions twirling beneath her flat tone. "But out of all the women that offered themselves to be your bride, I saw so much love for you. I didn't see any of that greed that you spoke of."

Whilst his face was hidden by his arms as he was still bent over, trying to win back his parents' forgiveness, his expression broke free of the still, cool exterior that was expected from royals, and it formed one of shock and revelation. Had he missed something? Had he been expecting the greed that was inevitable from some nobles so much that it blinded him to some form of genuine care that had actually been there last night? Had he really messed up that badly?

"Rise, Gray." His Father sighed, clearly able to sense the guilt and despair that was coming off his son in heaps. As the Prince steadily rose into a kneeling position once more, he fixed his visage, but still didn't dare look the King in the eye. "We'll discuss this again later." Sympathy finally broke into the King's voice, almost sounding like he wanted to scoop his son up into a hug and forgive him. And even though there would be no one but the Queen to witness it, his Father still restrained himself, no matter how much he wanted to let the issue go.

"Onto other news," The Queen's voice rose into her steady and confident tone, and soon servants flooded into the room and breakfast was being served, almost as if on cue. "Your cousin has decided to make a visit to us this afternoon."

Barely able to keep up with the sudden change of mood, Gray paused for a second as his brain clicked into this newest point of discussion. Settling back down at the chabudai, Gray copied his parents as they picked up their chopsticks and began to dig into the dish, which consisted of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish and various other side dishes.

"Yes, I figured that was what was happening." The raven forced a smile onto his face, though he was genuinely happy about the chance of being able to see Ultear and her husband, Lyon, once more.

By the time that the sun had risen, both Gray and his horse were completely exhausted. It hurt to put one foot in front of the other and they were both struggling. Groaning, as they began the ascension of one last hill, they began the final stretch to the tiny village of Myrtle. When the pair finally reached the top, there was a collective sigh of relief that passed between the two royals. Leading the dark horse into the town, the Prince rubbed at his tired eyes and adjusted his hood over his face and tried to avoid eye contact with as many people as possible.

"Excuse me?" He grumbled quietly to a person who was running a stall for fruit. Still keeping his head down, Gray tried to make it look like a sign of respect to the large man with the intimidating scar by his eye.

"What do you want?" The man responded, his voice was more impatient than annoyed though, which relieved the hidden Prince.

"Is there a stable in this town?" Gray asked.

"Yes there is. Take the first left and it's at the end of the road." The stall-runner replied. "You're new to town?"

"I'm just passing through." The raven whispered, bowing a quick thank you to the man before turning away and following the man's instructions - which thankfully didn't lead to a trap, but a real stable. The transaction with the stable employee went smoothly, and Gray was on his way within a quarter of an hour.

Heading to the town centre, where he hoped there would be an inn, the raven was shocked out of his reverie as a ruckus began to make itself known, and whatever was wrong seemed to be getting closer. Looking around worriedly, Gray squeaked in surprise as a carriage that had obviously been taken over by rogues bolted past. Itching backwards, to hopefully stay out of sight as his heart lurched into his throat as his hood fell down, he reached to replace the tattered brown hood, when something snagged his periphery. Spinning around to look, he was moving before he knew it.

"HEY! LOOK OUT!" Gray dove forward, and just as he managed to shove her out of the way, his world was swallowed by pain and his senses stopped everything except agony. His body felt like it was fire, and he felt himself coughing up blood as the object that hit him simply barreled over him, without any concern for him. Curling into a fetus position, he attempted to protect his definitely broken ribs from anymore pain, as he groaned quietly, his voice hoarse.

He could faintly hear someone gasping and when someone rolled him over, onto his back, he whined. In his right ear, he heard someone calling for help, shaking his desperately up at whoever he had saved, as he bit back tears of pain.

 **Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes, they're all very useful to me.**

 **Why yes, I did name Gray's horse after Mikasa and Levi. This chapter is more of a filler chapter than most of the chapters. I just really needed this one to get the story to where I needed it. I'm really excited for the future chapters. I don't know if this counts as a 'light angst', but I have a really bad habit of including angst wherever I can, so something like this was kind of guaranteed. I hope you're enjoying the story so far, it will hopefully get more interesting very soon. See you soon.**

 **Chabudai = Short-legged tables that are very common in Japan.**

 **Word Count: 1783**

 **~ Jaci**


	3. Chapter 03

It was close. Very close. She could feel the wind as the carriage rushed past her, the split second after she was pushed out of its way by some sort of hero. She couldn't move though, as she knelt down on the ground, on all fours, trying to come to terms with what was happening. People were buzzing all around her, as screams of panic and shock flooded her ears and snapped her out of her reverie. Spinning back around to see the damage that had been dealt to her protector, her heart jumped into her throat, as she saw a man curled up in a ball. She couldn't help but flinch in guilt, as she heard the little whimpers that fell out of his choked throat. Crawling closer, despite her shaky limbs after her brush with death, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and shook him ever so slightly. Her eyes watered as she drew out another painful groan from the dark-haired man.

"I'm sorry…" Lucy whispered, feeling a pulse of agony shoot through her as the man's eyes trembled open through the tiniest of slits. His eyes were scared and pained, and it was her fault. She could feel another apology coming up, but as more people swarmed around, she felt him tensing up at the attention. "Give him room!"

The citizens stared at her for a second, before about half-heartedly retreating, despite mumbling about how he couldn't wait for help.

"Does anyone know if Miss Grandeeney is back in town, yet?" She asked, looking around at her fellow villagers, the fear for her own safety finally beginning to be smothered by her worry for the man who almost gave his life for her's.

"No, she's not coming back until the New Year." An older man who was the Healer's friend, grumbled from somewhere in the crowd. Frowning, Lucy looked back down at the dark-haired man, her mind beginning to race for a solution.

"Well, he needs some sort of help." The blonde whispered, mostly to herself, whilst her brown eyes fell back down to meet the dark but endearing cobalt ones, almost like gravity. He was all too clearly struggling to stay conscious, sending another wave of white hot guilt burning through her veins. "I could take him to the city."

The second those words escaped her, the raven who was practically in her lap, tensed up even more so if it was possible. His eyes filled with so much more fear that it nearly brought her to tears.

"Well what else can I do?!" Lucy whispered, the fear in her voice as potent as the sun. The blue-eyed teen bit back another whimper, and seemed to give in to the terror in the young author's tone. Her heart swelled with an undeniable need to protect him, she dropped her idea and searched for another one. "Well… what if I take care of you… until you're better?"

"Do you even know how to care for someone who's injured?!" A strict woman who was clutching her son's hand as she still seemed to be shell-shocked by the dangerous carriage-heist. To be honest, the blonde had almost forgotten that they were in public, she had been so lost in those eyes.

"I cared for my mother in her last few weeks, didn't I?" Lucy glared up at the pale woman, who immediately flinched, as she remembered the infamous astronomer Layla and remembered that this was her daughter. "Sir, do you think you can stand?" Lucy asked, her voice halfway between assertive and gentle.

The raven forced his eyes open agonizingly slowly and began to uncurl himself from the fetus position he had trapped himself in. He reluctantly began pushing at the floor, and grit his teeth tightly together as his injured limbs groaned in protest, barely able to hold his weight. Shifting closer, Lucy slipped an arm under his chest, in order to help support him. He threw her a weary glare which she could only return with the faintest smiles of apology. Whatever pride seemed to be still in tact seemed to wither away pretty easily as he gave in to the offered help, some of the tension dripping out of his muscles, as he allowed Lucy to pull him into something of a standing position.

Sorely, they began to make their way towards the woods where Lucy's house was. The blonde was holding most of his weight, each step being a struggle for the man who had acted so selflessly for her. Shrieking in fear as the dark-haired man suddenly pitched forward and went limp in her arms. Lucy only _barely_ remained standing as she quickly adjusted her position, suddenly baring all of his weight. Shifting the man so that his weight was more evenly spread out across her petite body, she staggered a few feet forward before realising that it would take her all day to get back home like this, and the man needed medical attention as soon as possible.

"Could I give him a piggyback ride?" Lucy whispered to herself as she looked down at the man who looked so much younger in this vulnerable yet pained state, she couldn't help but feel her maternal instincts begin to awaken a little more. She needed to protect him, it was the only way she could pay him back for saving her. Leaning against a tree, she brought her fingers to her lips and whistled through the digits. Trusting that her help would come, she balanced her saviour against the tree and mindlessly stroked away some dirt and dust that had accumulated around his eyes. Her eyes glistened for a moment as she thought back to the accident, and her grip on his side tightened into something of an embrace. "Why would you go so far for someone you've never met?"

Much to Lucy's relief, the pit-pattering of paws could be heard, soon enough. Straightening up, Lucy pulled the raven back towards her as a big white dog appeared from the bushes.

"Plue!" Lucy gasped in relief. Plue woofed a greeting before tilting his head towards the raven in her arms. "Help me get him home." She commanded. The orange-muzzled dog barked happily and trotted to the other side of the young man. When Plue leant against the unconscious teen, it allowed Lucy to bare his weight a little bit easier.

Finally reaching her wooden cabin, the blonde author unlocked the door and dragged the man inside. Huffing as her arms were beginning to feel like lead due to supporting another's weight for so long, she unceremoniously dumped the man on her couch. Guilt immediately coursed through her as she tenderly moved the raven onto his back, and propped a cushion behind his head, beginning to inspect the wounds she could see.

"Plue, keep an eye on him." Lucy requested to her best friend, as she hurried out of the room and into the kitchen, the blonde fished out a first-aid kit. Preparing a bowl of water and some flannels, she returned to the living room only to have her spirits dampened when she saw that he was still asleep. I mean, she wasn't expecting him to be awake, after how injured he had gotten but she was still holding onto one last thread of hope that maybe his condition wasn't as bad as it had first appeared.

Sighing deeply, Lucy sat gingerly on the edge of the sofa, causing it to sink and the man to slope in time with the furniture's movement. She soaked the cloth in water before dabbing a particularly bad scab on his cheek, her mind racing to any and all medical knowledge that might help her here. He shifted the second that the cold water touched his wound, and whined to the wind.

"I'm sorry." The author shushed as she left the wound alone as soon as it was clean enough to trust that it wouldn't get infected so easily and began to wipe away the dirt on his face, applying a little more care to each of his wounds. "Huh?" She stopped. He had a scar. On his forehead. Leaning backwards a bit, to look at him as a whole, she felt a wave of familiarity rush through her, followed by a multitude of questions. She had seen him before, she was sure of it. But where? It was the kind of question where you could feel the answer on the tip of your tongue, but you still couldn't quite place the sense of familiarity. The kind of question that annoyed you because you _knew_ that you knew the answer!

A deep sigh passed through her lips as she re-focused on treating his wounds, she moved the cloth to his neck and exposed collarbone, before her face flushed in a deep red when she realized that she'd have to removed his shirt to get to the rest of his wounds. _You're just helping him when he needs it, Lucy. Come on!_ She furiously yelled at her inappropriate train of thought. With some gymnastics, she was able to get him out of his shirt. Her entire being shook to a halt.

Tears began to pool in her eyes, as she realized the extent of the damage that had been dealt to him. A trembling hand reached out and stroked ever so softly across the biggest bruise she had ever seen. It was such a horribly blunt wound that Lucy didn't know what to do with herself, especially as the raven moaned and attempted to shuffle away from her hands, his mind not quite unconscious enough to not feel pain.

"Why did you do that for me?" Lucy asked, her voice being ripped to shreds as her fear finally pushed her emotions over the edge. "You don't know who I am." She continued, even though Plue was the only one listening. Feeling him squirm beneath her didn't help the feeling of her heart being crushed in her chest. Removing her hands from the bruise that had swallowed most of his torso, only able to hold hold herself back for a moment before she slipped her hands under his back and pulled him into another hug. "Why would you put yourself at risk for me?" The hug was more than a little bit awkward, but after a beat of silence, she pulled him closer until he was all but leaning on her. Breathing yet another apology as he voiced his discomfort yet again, she moved him tenderly so he was in a more comfortable position, she cradled his head, her fingers framed his cheeks, as she gave in to the tears and sobs. They were ugly, wet noises being ripped from her throat as she pressed their foreheads together, focusing only on his breathing. The only indication that he was alive and still had the potential to make a full recovery.

"Please… please survive…" She begged him, before pulling back, readjusting him to his previous position, and started to collect herself. Plue whimpered at the man's feet, not wanting to disobey his master but also desperate to make her stop crying. "That's all you have to do. Survive. I'll take care of the rest."

Rubbing at her eyes, she looked over her savior once more with clouded vision, only to gasp as it finally hit her.

He was _Prince_ Gray!

 **Feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes, they're all very useful to me.**

 **Unfortunately, the next two chapters of this story will be delayed. Between the holidays and family leaving me with very little time to do any writing, I'm also having my braces put in on Friday. I know, I know, no one likes excuses, but I can't help this. The last two chapters will be delayed, but they will still be the next two things to be uploaded, preferably before the end of January. I'm sorry to everyone who this affects, and I hope you you can forgive me and wait a little bit longer for this story and others. Thank you for understanding, and Happy New Year!**

 **Word Count: 1900**

 **~ Jaci**


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